Friday, May 8, 2009

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies


My wagon has been dragging this week. It must have been the dreary weather we had earlier in the week that has sapped my energy and made me so lethargic.

Time for some chocolate to perk things up a little!

I didn't want a layer cake; didn't feel like cookies. I wasn't sure what I wanted, only what I didn't. I saw down with a cookbook that I haven't used yet, The Amish Cook, Recollections and Recipes from an Old Order Amish Family by Elizabeth Coblentz with Kevin Williams. I flipped to the index, went to chocolate, and of the nine chocolate recipes listed, these zucchini brownies caught my eye. Ordinarily I'd give a recipe like this a quick pass as I can't imagine a vegetable with chocolate, but I had zucchini left over from my wheat germ and zucchini bread, so why not give it a try?

Oh my goodness! If you like moist chocolate cake, you'll love this. No way, no how can you taste the zucchini, but the quality it imparts is it's superb moistness, without being what I would term fudgey.

The directions call for the batter to be baked in a 10" x 15" baking sheet, (which is why I surmise this recipe is called a brownie) but I don't have one that size, so I baked the batter in two 8" x 8" baking pans, which made two small cakes. I like the result so much, I'll do it this way again, and freeze the other small cake for a future use. Perfect for me and Ole Sweetie-Pi.

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped nuts

Shred the zucchini and set aside. Generously grease a 10" x 15" jelly roll pan (or use a baking dish and watch for doneness)

In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, oil and sugar; beat well.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cocoa.

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir just to combine. Add the vanilla, zucchini and nuts to the batter and mix thoroughly. The batter will be thick.

Spread the batter into your jelly roll pan (or baking dish). Bake for 30 minutes or until done (a toothpick poked in the center will come out clean).

Cool. Frost with vanilla frosting. I used my favorite butter cream.

So good! Simple and delicious!

Zucchini on Foodista

17 comments:

  1. What a great recipe to have on hand when summer crops are harvested.

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  2. I've never baked with zucchini...I like it so much on its own I'm always afraid of "wasting" it in a chocolate recipe where I won't even taste it...bizarre I know. But these look great!

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  3. Look at how moist that is! These sound wonderful. I am definitely bookmarking this recipe for the anticipated crazy crop of zukes! YUM!

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  4. This looks so yummy - I can't wait until I'm over run with zucchini!

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  5. Oh Katy, these look sinfully delicious! And they have cinnamon! I'll make these for sure as soon as I have some zucchini!

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  6. How lovely! I can practically taste how delicious it is just by the picture!

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  7. Yummy they look delicious. Love all the frosting.

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  8. I love zucchini and chocolate! Grumpy just told me this morning it is getting close to that time of year where I make my chocolate zucchini bread with white chocolate chips for him. lol

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  9. Hi Katy, I'm returning the visit.
    Thank so much for commenting on my blog everyday. You must like my dishes a lot! I really appreciate!
    I like this chocolate zucchini cake. I use to have a recipe but I've lost it some how. Glad to find this one. Thanks a lot Katy!
    XO, Nina

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  10. What a great use for my garden zucchini this summer. I love how moist it loks and the dripping frosting, MMMMM..

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  11. Oh wow that looks so tasty. I love sneaking healthy things into my treats and that looks so delish!

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  12. Looks great! I love chocolate and zucchini together. They make a great team!

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  13. this is going in my list of 'things I make so my youngest son eats veggies without knowing it'!

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  14. I love it, Katy. This will definitely get some veggies into my grandson.

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  15. What a great opening shot! Yum...looks good and I love to use zucchini in my baking too. Can't wait until harvest time and here we are just into spring. Thanks for sharing that recipe....time to bring out my baking pans

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  16. Hello Katy,found you on the foodie blogroll.I cant wait to try this out!I love your blog, and your stories...I could read em all day!Your fabulous!Hope you wont mind but I'd love to guide Foodista readers to your site, just add this little widget here to this post and it's all set to go, Thanks!

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  17. I always add some vegetables in muffins and cookies. Zuchinni is one of my additions. And always work really well!

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